Fitting curtain rail - lintel problem

[Londoner]

Reposting this in the Building forum to get some more feedback...

Just wondering if anyone had any advice before I embark on this. After attempting to drill holes for a new curtain rail and discovering a steel (I think) lintel, I've decided the easiest solution is to nail a 1 inch thick wooden batten with masonry nails into the wall and screw a simple curtain rail to that.

However a reply in the decorating forum said this won't work and I should really try and drill through the lintel.

Let's say I somehow manage to drill through, is it then just a simple case of using rawlplug in the resulting hole? I really want the least hassle way of doing this.

Any tips on how to go about this and common pitfalls would be appreciated (I'm a total newbie at this)

Cheers!

 

[Diyisfun]

Change your drill bit for one suitable to drill steel. Drill the hole & use METAL self tapping screws or you could drill & tapp it, neater than a batten

 

[Londoner]

This is probaly a silly question but I would use a self tapping screw without a wall plug, right? So the self tapping screw would go through the curtain bracket, through the half inch or so or plaster/masonry, and then into the lintel? Will this provide sufficient support?

 

[andyboyo]

to drill through the lintel (although Ive never done it myself )

you would obviously need to change drill bits from your initial masonary bit to one best suited for drilling steel.

when drilling the Lintel turn down the speed on your drill , otherwise you will just blunt it very quickly

Your idea about the baton was a good one i thought as long as you miss the lintel with the nails !the lintel by the way should only be about 6" either side of your window.

Lintels are only covered by plaster so i wouldnt go using smaller nails as it wont be able to support much weight . no good if your hanging bloody great big curtains

 

[big-all]

This is probaly a silly question but I would use a self tapping screw without a wall plug, right? So the self tapping screw would go through the curtain bracket, through the half inch or so or plaster/masonry, and then into the lintel? Will this provide sufficient support?

slightly different approach londoner you need to use hss or titanium bit to drill a slightly smaller hole than the self tapping screw into the steel
if you use the same drill bit through the plaster and possibly hit brick that will knacker it

so you need to drill a hole slighly larger than the screw with a masonery bit then change drill bits for the steel

you can use any old drill bit to go through the plaster but it will blunt them

 

[Londoner]

Does this mean that the self tapping screw is only effectively gripping the steel lintel at its very end where the contact is, and I'm not getting any other support for the rail. That doesn't seem like enough support for a rail + curtains (as opposed to a wall plug that expands in the hole).

i can't believe how much hassle this is!!

 

[Diyisfun]

You will get far better support from fixing to steel than the masonary.

 

[big-all]

Does this mean that the self tapping screw is only effectively gripping the steel lintel at its very end where the contact is, and I'm not getting any other support for the rail. That doesn't seem like enough support for a rail + curtains (as opposed to a wall plug that expands in the hole).

i can't believe how much hassle this is!!

no you drill a hole in the steel slightly smaller than the screw thread "self tapping" in this context means it makes its own thread not the hole

 

[Londoner]

Would it make any sense to use a combination of masonry bit and SDS bit to create a hole large enough to fit the wall plugs that were supplied with the rail, or is that a ****-up in the making?

 

[big-all]

havent noticed wether its a steel or concrete lintel you have!!!!!

 

[Static]

Depends if you want the curtains to fall out or not.. Rawl plugs work on the screw forcing the plastic to expand into the masonry. The lintel is hollow so the plastic plug will expand and grip on nothing. It will probably hold till some 4yr old kid janks on it or the woman gives it a solid pms pull then the whole thing will fall down.
Either run the rail above or to the sides of the lintel with the original fixings or go buy a few self tapping screws and fix into the lintel as suggested.

 

[PatrickD]

Why won't the batten work? If you've got a catnic or some such thing over the window it migh be a lot easier to hire a Hilti gun and fix the batten that way.

If it isn't a catnic - for instance if it's an RSJ, there'll either be a gap between the inner face of the steel and your plaster or there''ll be timber 'soldiers' at 400mm intervals. You may be able to fix to one of them.

Are you sure it isn't concrete? How big is the span?

Patrick

p.s. I have been known to not know what I'm talking about

 

[Londoner]

It does seem to be steel as I checked one of the first holes I drilled and it looked and sounded like metal. The span is roughly 3m (windows and patio door = about 240 cms across). I drilled an inch either side of the first hole and found the same obstruction, as well as about 4 inches above, no luck. (I can't go any lower as I'm already as low as I can go).

I was warned that using a batten nailed in with masonry nails wouldn't support the weight of the curtains. They are going to be ceiling-to-floor curtains, medium weight. Nails would only hav the plaster/interior finish to grip to. Is that enough support?

(PS I got the batten idea from a BBC 'Handy Andy' top tip. Surely he knows what he's talking about! )

 

[big-all]

support the pole from a batton secured to the ceiling
at least youll get a fixing every 16 inches or so

 

[Static]

Well your lintel is most likely to be 6" or 8 1/2" high add about another inch for plaster and try drilling in those spots